


Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance

by GalvanicSage



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017), Kingdom Hearts, Monsters Inc (2001)
Genre: Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Major Original Character(s), Multi, Post-Kingdom Hearts II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 11:10:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11645370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalvanicSage/pseuds/GalvanicSage
Summary: A continuation of the Kingdom Hearts storyline (post-KH2), some years in the future. The Keyblade Master Academy reopens. New students set forth to face the Heartless threat! Will they be able to save Sora from a terrible fate? (Cross-posted with some edits from FanFiction.net)





	1. Prologue - The Mysterious Tower

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**  
_ Prologue _

"Sora can't defend the worlds forever, there has to be another option!"

"You are right, King Mickey. He cannot. I believe we would be well served to look to the works of our former masters for inspiration."

"Wait, you mean... re-open the Keyblade Master Academy?"

"That was but one outcome that I have been considering for some time, though it cannot be myself that undertakes such an endeavor."

"Begging your pardon, Master Yen Sid... Sir... but why not?"

The grey bearded sorceror dressed in fine blue robes then turned sharply on his heel, no longer directing his steel-grey gaze out of the moon-shaped window that looked out upon the starry blackness surrounding the tower. Instead, he snapped his attention onto that of his former apprentice. "I have always held myself personally responsible for Xehanort's corruption going unchecked. I cannot allow for such a mistake again, and my new purpose here is part of that aim. I will continue to monitor the balance of light and darkness here where my power is greatest, and be able to keep you informed."

Mickey sighed, having already known the reason, yet was hoping he hadn't needed to hear it again. "Please reconsider... I don't think I can do this alone." he replied, looking down to the floor.

"Have confidence, King Mickey. Alone is one thing that you most certainly are not," came the reply, immediately getting the anthropomorphic mouse's attention back with a start. "Merlin has shared much of his knowledge with me and I believe he will be a helpful ally in reestablishing the Academy now that his restoration work at Radiant Garden is effectively completed."

Mickey gave his trademark laugh at this. "You've got that right! His team sure did a bang-up job!" he noted enthusiastically.

Yen Sid nodded to this before continuing, "As well, you are already versed in the details of administering a Mark of Mastery Exam; Sora's and Riku's examples being an exceptional case of how things may go awry, but I digress. I see no reason why this experience could not extend to other students."

Considering this for a moment, King Mickey recalled the memories he had of their combined testing. It certainly did not start like a typical Mark of Mastery exam as he had it first explained to him, mostly because of both of their prolonged experience with Keyblades (having developed a lot of their training on their own) and because they had both gone through so much to get to that point with their experiences varying rather wildly. Sora was even graded to have failed the first time, but mainly for reasons related to meddling by Xehanort. Sora was later retested (setting the example for Kairi, Lea and Ventus), fully empowered by all he had learned following Xehanort's final defeat. "Very well, you can count on me!" came his reply.

Mickey was about two steps from dashing out of the room door and down the tower's unique 'weirdest spiral staircase in existence' before stopping himself short. "Can't really reopen the Academy without any students though...just how am I supposed to find them?"

To this, the old sorcerer smiled and seated himself back at his desk, summoning a large tome onto the surface of the desk, already open to the page he required. "Perhaps you've forgotten, Master Mickey, about how you came into possession of your own Keyblade. The only requirement to wield one is an exceptionally strong heart, " he began to explain.

Tilting his head quizzically, Mickey returned to the desk to see what exactly Master Yen Sid had laid out with his book. "I'm not sure I understand you, sir."

"A Keyblade chooses it's wielder," he stated in his usual stern manner, "You fearlessly plunged into the Realm of Darkness to seek one, and thereby obtained it. There was even a time when Riku was able to pull the Kingdom Key right from Sora's hands simply because he had a stronger will. All Keyblades are attracted to those that carry certain qualities, though being connected to the heart of another keybearer certainly helps."

"Oh, I get it now! We just have to let a keyblade point the way!" came Mickey's revelation.

The page that Yen Sid had open appeared to be instructions on a sort of ritual. Something that outlined how to awaken the power of a keyblade within a person's heart. "There may be hundreds of keyblade weilders out there now that don't even know it yet. All they require is something to bring that light to the surface."

Mickey and Yen Sid both read out the title of the ritual simultaneously.

"The Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony"

\---

Author's Notes and Disclaimer: This story was originally released before KH:DDD , 0.2 and KH3, and I've had to make a few edits here from the original to maintain canon compliance. This is mostly a Canon Continuation work, though I can honestly say I haven't played Coded or it's remake. Special thanks to a couple of my friends who helped me edit and review, and my wife who helped me find the confidence to work on this in the first place. All characters belong to their respective owners (namely Disney and Square Enix for the most part), save any original ones as they (obviously) belong to me.  
Enjoy!


	2. Awakening

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**   
_Chapter 1_

"Cael, you lazy bum. I knew I'd find you snoozing down here."

The crimson haired boy awoke with a start, roused by the voice of his friend and twisting about to meet her cerulean gaze. Framed by glasses glinting in the sunlight and complimented by a short, front-swept haircut of navy blue, she certainly had an educated and attractive look to her. "Gimme a break, Reki! How am I supposed to be cool if I can't take a rest now and then?"

This drew a brief laugh from Reki as she extended a hand to him, partly as a hint to get him to stand up from the spot on the grass where she found him. "At this rate, we'll never be done training! Besides that, Master Mickey has asked all three of us to meet him down in the Hall of the Cornerstone as soon as we can."

Taking her hand, Cael glanced around the courtyard garden at the mention of the third person supposedly coming with them. It also reminded him why he came down here in the first place for a rest as the greenery surrounded by the alabaster stone work (and topped by royal blue spires) was quite an idyllic setting. He quietly wondered to himself why more people didn't stop off here to relax. "Well, if we're all supposed to go... then where is Tsuna?"

To this, Reki gave him an abashed look. "I was sort of hoping you'd know. As much as we all have an 'unbreakable connection of friendship', that boy is continuously elusive whenever he's needed," she admitted, quoting a line from Mickey that had become a sort of inside joke between the three friends.

"Seriously?" asked a crestfallen Cael, exaggerating the impact of her statement like it physically hurt him. "I guess we'll have to go look for him."

"If you had to track me down again after finding him, we'd be wasting even more time," she pointed out. "I'll run ahead and let Master Mickey know what the plan is, and then we can all meet in the Hall of the Cornerstone after you've found him. Or he's found you. I need to ask Mickey a few questions anyways... about some stuff... so don't feel too rushed," she added, sort of cryptically.

Heading back to the doors of the 'toonishly warped' castle interior, Reki split off towards the throne room. "Good luck!" she told Cael as he followed her with his eyes, her signature scarf and sandles disappearing around a corner before he established his bearings. 

"Actually, I think I know just where to go..." he figured aloud.

\---

The sound of clanging metal coming from a room down the hall told Cael exactly what he needed. This was a room they visited often together but it was certainly never used for its original intended purpose. With King Mickey's decision to create a new Keyblade Master Academy, what was once a storage room for the Shield Guardians had become a makeshift training room. One that Tsuna liked to spend a lot of time in.

Rounding the corner of the doorway, Cael watched patiently as the youth with jet black hair and emerald highlights finished his set against a training dummy. Landing solidly on the toes of black coloured boots after an impressive aerial finisher, Tsuna remained kneeling upon the stonework. Keyblade vanishing into wispy nothingness, he allowed himself a few moments to catch his breath after the strain. All this while knowing fully well that he was being watched by a smiling Cael leaning against the nearby wall.

"Pretty intense! Those heartless won't know what hit them." Cael complimented, walking closer to give him a hand up if he needed it. The friendly gesture went unacknowledged though as Tsuna stood again on his own, turning his bright red eyes to regard his friend with a touch of scorn.

"You say that as if we won't be fighting for our lives out there. The protection of this castle won't be around forever, Cael. We have a duty expected of us, and it's important to be prepared for whatever comes," he noted to his more light-hearted companion, though it was a line he seemed to echo on a regular basis. "You really should take training more seriously."

Cael feigned being upset by his friend's accusation. "I do take it seriously! ...most of the time," he tried to protest, finding his argument squashed by the fact that he did sort of admire Tsuna's dedication. "Like right now, I'm here to let you know we're all supposed to meet down in the Hall of the Cornerstone," Cael added, perking up as he remembered his task at hand.

Tsuna considered this for a moment, and all it might imply. "Well then... This could be it! Maybe we should get in one last sparring session. You know, just to make sure you're ready?" he suggested with a smug look, dusting off the protective shoulder plate he wore with a gloved hand, which complimented the rest of his training garb. While the outfit was little more than black canvas pants with green kneeguards that matched his hair and a black tank top, it gave him the mobility he needed to take on anything.

Cael agreed to this, already wearing similar looking gear but themed instead with a blue tank top and sneakers. Also worth noting was a lack of knee guards on his pants, and all of it paired with a black jacket sporting white trim and an emblazoned blue armband as a personal style choice that he tended to wear everywhere. Shrugging, he materialized his pale yellow looking Keyblade. "You're on, man. But we shouldn't take too long."

Tsuna smiled, glad to have a proper training partner over a dummy any time he could. Resummoning his own sword, the match ensued.

\---

Cael's natural skill and unpredictable fighting style eventually won, laying Tsuna out on the training floor in pain and holding up an open hand as a signal to yield. "Owww... I think that will do! I still want to be able to walk to the Hall..." he groaned, picking himself up and making his blade once again fade out.

However, Cael didn't escape unscathed either. "You really went all out, Tsuna. Almost had me a few times there..." he complimented while massaging a couple of bruises, knowing full well how much his brother-in-arms secretly hated to lose. But this only got him another smoldering condemnation.

"Don't mention it. You know King Mickey doesn't like it when we spar while unsupervised. Let's not keep him waiting too much longer." Tsuna reminded him, making to leave the training room ahead of Cael.

Cael responded with one of his usual embarrassed grins, crediting why they fought in the first place up to the the fact that they were still just impulsive teenagers. "Oh yeah... right. We've got to get moving," came his reply as he picked up the pace a bit, catching up to Tsuna as they both rounded the corner towards the Hall, chuckling about their mischief as only best friends would.

\---

Author's Notes: It might be interesting to learn that the names I chose for the characters were quite specific. For example, while Cael sounds like a type of lettuce, it is actually based on the word for Sky in Latin. Similarly, Tsuna is for Sand in Japanese but I'm pretty sure some fans would figure that one out quickly. Lastly, Reki took a bit of work to come up with, but it's from the word for River in Slovenian. Pretty wild, hey? Once again, all characters belong to their respective owners: this is a work of fan fiction. Enjoy and please review!


	3. Taking Shape

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**   
_Chapter 2_

The red carpeted halls were rather well laid out. It was only when one ventured down to the servant quarters where somebody could get easily turned around. Cael and Tsuna had no reason to explore there now in any case; their current destination was the Audience Chamber, which stood as the only access to the Cornerstone of Light along with being an effective barricade if the castle ever came under attack. Thankfully it was easy to find as the almost-comically large purple doors looked out onto the courtyard where Cael had previously been taking a nap.

But their trip to the chamber was not completely uneventful as they ran into another regular around the castle that they knew quite well. He too was in training, but not to become a keyblade master. Rather, he was a squire in the Order of Shield Knights that King Mickey employed as his elite guard to protect Disney Castle and its surrounding town. As well, he did not receive training from the king himself but instead reported to the leader of the Shield Knights... whom also happened to be his father. And both he and his father were anthropomorphic dogs.

"Max!" echoed Tsuna's voice down the large hall, getting his attention and causing his black and floppy ears to perk up. "Not 'goofing' off again, are you?" Tsuna added in usual fashion, getting a chuckle out of Cael.

Max had heard it many times before, and had come to take it in stride even if his father did frustrate him sometimes. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Hey, give me a break! You know I'd be down at the skateboard circuit with Bobby and Peej in a heartbeat if I wasn't stuck here today. They've got me as a 'gopher' for the Gummy Ship Maintenance Crew. I guess they have something big planned."

Cael raised a skeptical eyebrow at this. "Wait, Chip and Dale? How much coffee can two chipmunks drink?"

This just made Max burst into laughter. "Ahahah hyuk... Good one, Cael. But I've gotta get back to work. Say 'hi' to Reki for me, hey?"

The shield-bearing squire then went on his way, leaving Cael feeling sort of awkward when he realized that Tsuna was still standing next to him giving him a smirk. Cael just shot an inquiring side-long glance at him. "What? It was a legit question..."

They continued around the next corner and through a large door, finally arriving at the open-air hallway with it's enormous enterance to the Audience Chamber. Cael remembered the first time they passed through here, having expected to give the door a hearty shove to even budge it when he quickly learned about the much smaller door built into the bigger one. The resulting excess of force had sent him stumbling into the brightly lit and expansive throne room.

He'd since learned better, but the throne room was still no less impressive. Waiting at the enterance way, the platform covering it already having been slid to the side, was Queen Minnie who nodded in greeting. "Hello trainees! The king and Reki are waiting for you inside. Please come this way."

Tsuna just sort of shrugged. He had commented in the past that the Queen was quite fond of her formal routine, but didn't much care for it himself. Though he'd never say it to her face, it still showed. "I wonder why we're meeting down by the Cornerstone though... The only other time we got to see it was during the tour," noted Tsuna aloud, half to Queen Minnie and half to himself.

As they entered though, it was King Mickey that looked to answer his inquiry. "Ah, Tsuna! Cael! There you are. And it's funny you should ask that question as Reki had asked the same thing. But now that you're all here, I can explain," their large-eared master had spoken, looking rather excited about this as well and dressed in an outfit he tended to use for it's mobility.

The round and mystical Cornerstone shone brightly behind him, Reki flashing a smile at Cael before pausing and then narrowing her eyes in accusing inquiry. She must have suspected they had dueled again, but how she always figured this stuff out so quickly had Cael perplexed.

Their noble teacher didn't see it though, or if he did then he knew when to let it slide and get on with their training session. "As you may all recall, when you were first chosen as Keybearers, you barely had the power to summon your weapon at all. If you could present them now, please?" he requested with a gesture.

Standing before the king and the soft glow of the Cornerstone of Light, all three kids raised their hands and brought forth their keyblades from the ether. "Back then, I provided you all with keychains that helped bring out your heart's potential. This is why they all look very similar, even though every keyblade takes on some properties of its wielder," Mickey continued, referring to the fact that they all looked much like the Kingdom Key except with distinct color differences between the hilts. Also, from all of them dangled a silver emblem that resembled Mickey's head; a common motif around Disney Castle.

Lowering their keyblades, they continued to listen. "But now that you've had time to hone your abilities, and build up new friendships, I believe your hearts should be strong enough to properly bear the true forms of your Keyblades. Here in the Hall of the Cornerstone, close to the brightest light of this world, I think will be your best chance for success. I'd like for you to remove your Keychain charms now," he instructed, the three trainees all glancing at each other in surprise before proceeding.

Reki was the first to unequip hers, the whole thing shimmering like water before reforming into a sapphiric and curvy weapon, to the point of appearing harmless and fragile. The hilt was more of a heart shape now, while the teeth appeared to be depicting a sunrise. Reki spoke, instinctively knowing its name. "Rising River..."

The two boys looked on in awe as they witnessed this, and then eagerly set about to see their own trueform weapons. Tsuna was ready next, but he seemed to have some trouble keeping it summoned as it turned to sand, whirling about his arm before reforming into a... reverse keyblade. The teeth of it were up near his elbow, depicting a black tower while the handle appeared to shield his wrist, making it look more like a punching weapon than one for slashing. Which would mean he'd have to get up close in melee range to dish out damage, but Tsuna was never afraid of doing just that. "Stepping Stone," came its name much like the one before it.

Cael finally managed to get his unlocked as well. "Aha, there we go..." he said just before the entire thing disappeared into sparks. Tsuna nearly started laughing before he realized it wasn't over. A gust picked up through the entire room, which was weird because they were both indoors and underground. The wind became solid in form, the sparks returning and coalescing into a golden key that faded to crimson at the end, featuring wings as its teeth and hilt. "This one is... Waking Wind." Cael realized, adding it's name to the the others and holding his weapon high and proudly.

"Excellent work! All of you!" Mickey cheered, Queen Minnie also looking on with admiration. "Now... you will all need to create keychains for yourselves that you feel best represent you. They will help improve your focus and bond with your weapon." he told them, though it fell mostly on deaf ears as the three kids were all caught up with how cool their personalized keys were.

That is, until Max came dashing down the stairs into the chamber with a look of panic. "King Mickey! Your Highness, sir, you've got to come quickly! Sora's Gummy Ship has returned to the castle... but it's empty! And a whole mess of Heartless flyers came through the corridor behind it!"

King Mickey knew he'd have to take command of the situation immediately, leaving the kids behind. "Looks like this lesson will have to continue later. C'mon Max, we need to get back down to the Hangar and scramble those fighters! I don't want any more getting through!" and with that his yellow shoes disappeared up the staircase. None of the kids wanted to be left out of the action though and all of them gave chase to offer their help, Cael leading the way. And all of them had the same thought echoing in their mind: "Sora's gone missing?!"

\---

Author's Notes: I actually came up with the name for their keyblades some time ago but I had a hell of a time coming up with their descriptions. Bit of a shame that their ceremony is so short... and yes, Max Goof is going to be an important part of the story, along with a spell casting companion, but I'm not telling who it's going to be just yet. :D  
All characters belong to their respective creators, primarily being Disney and Square Enix; this is a work of fan fiction. Enjoy and please review or comment!


	4. Sinister Shadows

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**  
_Chapter 3_  


Mickey was quite distraught during the mad dash down to the gummy hangar. 'How did they breach the barrier that the Cornerstone of Light maintains? How did the Highwind get back here with no pilot? More importantly, what happened to the pilot? Where's Sora?!'

These were the questions running through the noble mouse's mind, almost shouting for answers, but he still bore a responsibility to his people first. Certainly the Cornerstone would weaken the Heartless such that, if they made landfall, they would be fairly easy to defeat; but that didn't mean they weren't still a danger. Glancing back, he saw his three students giving chase, and it made Mickey smile inwardly. After all, he had neglected to tell them to stay behind... That sort of initiative would certainly come in handy.

"Master Mickey! We want to help!" Reki shouted up to him as he was exiting the grand hall. Sparing a few moments to make sure the three teens made it out to the hallway as well, he nodded to them and then manifested his Keyblade, pointing it up at the massive door and casting a seal upon it, appearing as a shimmering pink wall with his personal emblem at the center. This also gave him a moment for thought as to where they should be deployed.

"Hmm... without Keybearers, the Shield Knights are going to be in trouble. I need you three out in Disney Town to take out any Heartless that manage to land. Don't forget what I told you about how attracted they are to people with strong hearts. In the meantime, I'm going to be having Donald and Goofy take me up closer to the Gate so I can lock it shut," he explained, hinting at the deeper consequence of cutting the world off from subspace altogether. "If they're using the subspace corridors again, I don't think it's safe for us to travel through them anymore."

"What about me, sir?" inquired Max, having stayed by his side the whole time and now wondering what Mickey had him following along for.

Mickey had, of course, not forgotten at all. "I need somebody to watch my tail, and you're the _only_ other one available to do that. You'll be on turret duty!" he announced, seeing his eyes widen with the reaction he'd expected.

"Oh _what?!_ ... I don't even know how to shoot! Dad never let me touch the controls!" he protested. If his father was going to be up there too, he really didn't want to goof things up as his family was prone to do.

"You'll figure it out Max. It'll be easier than your job as head waiter; this time there's no penguins to order around!" Mickey reassured him humorously, alluding to the House of Mouse nightclub that he had been employed at during summer break. Turning back to the rest of the group, he spurred them on their way. "No time to lose now, every minute we waste means more Heartless!"

\---

Sure enough, when the team of three emerged from the castle gates, the Heartless were already making themselves known. While they were little more than shadows harassing the townsfolk, they were still spreading panic and mischief. Tsuna was able to assess the situation fairly quickly and offered a strategy. "We should split up. We'll cover more ground that way, and I'll be able to give my Keyblade a proper test without hitting one of you," he stated flatly.

Reki and Cael both shot him a wry grin, but for different reasons. "Are you saying I'd just get in the way?" came Cael's response, summoning up Waking Wind once more to punctuate his readiness to do battle. Reki rolled her eyes at both boys as they were undeniably showing off.

"No, Cael, he just doesn't want to be schooled by the two of us." she playfully teased, before relating other advantages to Tsuna's plan. "It'll be just like the simulations, and if anyone gets swarmed, Disney Town isn't that big. Just shout and one of us can come--"

"Help!" came another voice, likely one of the townspeople as it was from up ahead, and cutting off Reki midsentence. Cael nodded, the other two quickly returning the motion, and he took off in the direction of the distressed cry leaving the other two to find their own route through the toonish streets.

\---

Arriving at the Gummi Hangar, Max and Mickey found the two chipmunk mechanics waiting for them. "Your ship is ready for takeoff, your Majesty! Commander Goofy and Magister Donald are already aboard!" reported a saluting Chip, ever the one to take the lead.

"They teleported here less than a minute after the alarm went up! Nearly gave us both a heart attack!" added his partner, Dale, with his usual embellishment.

Without waiting for further orders, Max bounded down the stairway just beyond them to get seated at his assigned battlestation and start clearing the way for take-off. Mickey, on the other hand, waved his ready signal to the control tower. Shortly after, large and gloved mechanical arms reached down to lift Mickey up toward the Gummi Ship cockpit, the engines flashing to life as he hopped in, synchronized with Max sliding into the turret seat and leaving the youth suddenly wondering why he'd been so stressed out.

"Now I see what he meant by easy. Leave it to the chipmunks to make user-friendly controls," he muttered to himself, scanning over what appeared to be very simplistic, toonlike design linked up to a screen with a very advanced targeting system. Getting a grip on the aiming joysticks and swiveling his view to the air, he thoughtfully added "All it needs is somebody to be in charge! Leave this to Max!"

\---

"Leave them to us!" Cael shouted as both he and Reki burst onto the scene of Disney Town plaza, in a vain attempt to get the Shield Guards to clear out of the way. Keyblades flashed brilliantly as shadow after shadow was forced to melt away. Reki even managed to tag a couple with a well timed bolt of flames, conjured up from her own spirit power.

When the shadows finally seemed to be routed and weren't showing up anymore, the two panted from the exertion but grinned, both impressed by their own battle prowess in a practical situation. Helping the other citizens recover from any cuts and bruises they sustained, they eventually got back to idle chatter. "Y'know Reki... I think I lost count halfway through there..." admitted Cael in a sheepish tone.

"Really?" came the reply. Her cerulean eyes regarded him for a moment with incredulity. "I thought the whole point was to beat Tsuna," she mentioned; the two of them well known for being competitive. Still, she followed up by relating her own results: "Honestly, I think I only might have killed.... seven or so. And I know you got more than that. And it definitely took longer than I thought it would. We should actually go and see if Tsuna's doing okay. I'm beginning to doubt whether he's ever asked for help in his life... even if he really needed some."

Cael nodded, just happy to finally spend some time with her and nobody else. There was hardly a moment at the academy when it wasn't the three of them together or all set apart privately with Master Mickey (or one of the handful of tutors he employed). Reki especially, as she always seemed quite busy with her solo studies.

Proceeding to the Disney Town Raceway, they had a clear view of many of the flyers coming in and striking at the castle. The damage was minimal, but it was certainly not something they could allow to continue. Which was why Mickey's gummi ship shot into the air, making a beeline for the gate as a hailstorm of turret-fire kept the airborne Heartless at bay.

"Yee-haw! Go Max!" Cael cheered, not staying fixated on that glorious sight for too long. One large heartless was suddenly picked off out of the sky and he tracked it crashing down to the raceway out in front of them. Coincidentally enough, Tsuna was already there finishing with his own batch of whelps before he got the chance to look up and ready himself for the falling monster as well, taking up a battle stance once more and readied to engage it.

"New rules, Cael! Killing blow on this big Shadow Beast is the winner!" came his voice, full of confidence from the other side of the dark being's projected landing, right before the thing smashed into the pavement between them.

\---

Author's Notes: Still part of the crosspost from Fanficiton.net, this chapter was actually written much later compared to the ones previous. BBS and DDD had released and it trampled a bit on some of my world choices for future chapters, but I think the stuff I came up with in the meantime made for a more complex and interesting story. You'll see. Also, if you're not reading Chip and Dale in their respective voices, you're missing out on an extra layer of enjoyment that this story can bring.  
All characters belong to their respective creators, primarily being Disney and Square Enix; this is a work of fan fiction. Enjoy and please review or comment!


	5. Into Darkness

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**  
_Chapter 4_  


The crippled Heartless lifted up its hulking body from the ground with a shudder, no longer able to fly. Mindless as it was, it could still sense the keyblade wielders around it and knew that meant danger. Lifting it's midnight-black head with a roar, it made clear that it wasn't going down without a fight, which was exactly what the three teenagers were bringing it.

Tsuna didn't waste any time needling away at the health of the large beast, relying on his usual hit-and-run tactic: weaving and hopping back and forth while striking at its four legs, planning ahead to make his final attack after throwing it off balance. Cael was a bit more direct, fearlessly taking it head-on by smacking it about the face, jumping or blocking when it moved to strike. Reki had no interest in seeing her friends hurt by their reckless attacks, and silently thanked her time spent researching on her own, having learned a few useful spells for this situation.

Strafing to one side to get a better position, as soon she had both boys again in sight, Reki whipped out her keyblade like a wand, a spark of blue light glowing at the furthest point. "Bubble!" she shouted, the spark bursting with energy and no sooner had she spoken the spell's name than a shimmering barrier went up around all three of them, meant to absorb incoming blows. Satisfied they would then be okay for a moment, the raven-haired female adjusted her glasses, scanning for any obvious weakness she could draw the team's attention to.

That's when it raised up on its hind legs... only to drop back down, spawning a pool of darkness with a number of little shadow heartless spilling out of it. Cael had narrowly gotten away from the beast stomping down, and knew that having to fight more Heartless was bad news, changing his focus to clear them off. Tsuna seemed quite intent on using that time to his advantage, pressing his attacks more and ultimately turning the big monster's attention onto himself.

Raking and snapping sideways, Tsuna wasn't quick enough to avoid the lumbering beast and found his bubble shield quickly popped, the burst pushing him safely out of range of further attack but still hurting his pride. Wheeling and gripping his reverse-blade a little tighter, crimson eyes flaring, it was flashes of light coming from Reki nearby that drew his attention off of their main target. Bolts of fire and lightning were shooting forth, evaporating some of the creatures twitching and lurching at Cael where his blade swings had not yet threatened. Tsuna found himself feeling... _jealous_. Reki was loaded with spells and Cael's weapon simply moved faster than his. He had been adapting to the fighting style demanded by his new reverse-blade on the fly today, but didn't like the idea that he was weaker than the others by comparison because of it.

The additional shadows defeated, their captured hearts released into the air before vanishing, Reki finally saw the distinctive red emblem of the unnatural heartless emblazoned on the back of its thick neck. "Get up on its back!" came the prompt, snapping Tsuna out of his temporary funk. He took one leg while Cael attacked another, this time causing it to crumple and kneel forward, giving them the chance to scramble up save for the fact that Cael lost his footing and got pitched off the front of the beast when it reacted. It lunged for him when he landed, and in a desperate thrust Cael pitched his blade upward into its jaw as Tsuna came down with both hands on the hilt of Stepping Stone to pierce the emblem.

It froze and stuttered as if in shock, and Reki channeled one more lightning bolt directed to strike through Tsuna's key before it exploded into black smoke and a large, sparkling heart bursting upwards from its torso. Cael was at a bit of a loss determining who actually finished it. With his butt flat on the ground, he unsummoned Waking Wind and followed the heart with his silver-grey eyes skyward, giving a sheepish chuckle about the poorly chosen competition. "I'm not sure we can count this one..."

All of them smiled, but that wasn't to last as more explosions and thruster sounds rang out across the sky. King Mickey's ship was hovering up by the open Corridor portal with the agile mouse balancing on one of the wings, ready to close it.

"Get ready, Goofy!" he called out, implicitly trusting his knight-commander at the firing controls to keep the Heartless from interrupting them. Still, he found himself becoming increasingly uneasy, yet couldn't put his gloved finger on why.

Pointing his favored blade, the Star Seeker, towards the gate, a beam of light shot out. Usually it should have only taken a second or two, and the portal would close and vanish like it was never there. But this time, as soon as the light beam struck home, the portal shifted into an angry red vortex and threatened to drag the ship into it. "Oho boy, we need to leave! Donald! Get us out of here!" the mouse-king exclaimed, bouncing back across the wing and swinging himself into the cockpit once more.

"I'm punching it!" came back Donald's quack-like response, the ship lurching to turn about and flaring its rockets at full blast, trying to put some space between it and the Corridor pulling them backwards.

"Uhhh... Donald? Why doesn't it seem like we're moving?" Goofy pointed out in his usual clueless-sounding questioning. He could hear the engines roar but nothing ahead of them seemed to get any closer.

Donald was quite a bit more panicked about this while Mickey took to quietly musing about how to fix this mess. Their engines weren't winning. "The portal is too strong! Brace yourselves!" All three of the musketeer-crew held on to whatever was close as the onboard Haste Gummy module was depleted, the ship sent tumbling into the yawning red unknown.

The teens on the ground watched in horror as the ship was pulled beyond the threshold, the portal then violently ceasing to exist with a sound like thunder. Even the citizens of Disney Town, having already been panicked by the Heartless attack, were stuck in shock and staring up at the sky where their king had once been, the realization of what had happened now overwhelming their senses. Mickey, Donald and Goofy were... gone.

Max Goof was left shaking, staring at his hands as he let go of the turret joysticks. He couldn't accept that what had just transpired was in some way his fault and his shock quickly boiled over to a blinding rage. Slamming his fists on the display, shouting "NOOOOOOO!!!!!" he vaulted out of the chair and made for the castle gates, figuring if there were _any_ Heartless left that he would make them pay.

"Max? Oh, Max! Wait!"

It wasn't so much the words as the source that made him stop. A voice so sweet and regal that it would give any man pause to listen and respect them.

"Queen Minnie?" he turned to face her quizzically. The thought struck him that maybe she didn't yet know. Max had only just made it out to the surrounding garden courtyard, and the direction she came from suggested that she had been in the library for the entire time. As if she could hear his thoughts though, she answered his unvoiced question.

"I know that look," she sighed, folding her hands in front of her. "This would not be the first time that Mickey has been swept away to other worlds. I can feel certain that with Donald and Goofy by his side that he will return home again in one piece."

This actually did help Max put things into a better perspective. It wasn't as if he had seen his father die, he just ended up on another misadventure. Something he was rather prone to do. "That's my dad out there, though! I can't just sit here and wait, feeling like I could have done something about it!"

Surprisingly, Minnie seemed to agree with him. "You have a strong heart, Max, but you won't be able to fight the Heartless alone. If you are to be a proper Shield Knight, then I ask you to remember the others you are sworn to protect. Mickey's students... they might be the best hope we have."

Max saw where she was going with this. Without a keyblade wielder nearby to make them vulnerable, all of his attacks against even the weakest of Shadows would pass right through it. It would be important to keep them safe in case there was another attack. This brought back another burning question though: Where was Sora? Why wasn't he in his ship, and how did the Heartless use it to breach the Cornerstone's world shield? Was he in trouble? Or worse, was Sora somehow responsible for it? His friends would want answers, and the way to get to them was just sealed shut.

"The other keyblade wielders. Riku and Kairi..."

"Might be in grave danger," Minnie finished for him. "Go out and fetch Cael, Reki and Tsuna. Tell them to come meet me back at the library. I have an important task for all of you."

\---

Author's Notes: I figured it was pretty safe to say that all three of Sora, Riku and Kairi survive after KH3. What kind of happy ending would it be otherwise? Really though, this chapter felt like a bridge to bigger things when I wrote it. Next chapter is when I knew I could set to flinging my characters to the far corners of the Realm of Light. That's what you REALLY came to read about, right? Adventure!  
All characters belong to their respective creators, primarily being Disney and Square Enix; this is a work of fan fiction. Enjoy and please review or comment!


	6. Shards of Hope

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**  
_Chapter 5_  


At a loss for what to do, the trio of teenagers had defaulted to helping the other citizens and assessing the damage that was caused in the attack. With the breach sealed, the Cornerstone of Light (still kept safe within the heart of Disney Castle) was able to resume emitting its aura and keeping the Shadow Heartless at bay. When the team had a chance to take a break again, Reki was the first to voice what was on all of their minds.

"Everything is a mess. King Mickey's gone; and by all accounts, Sora is too. I mean, we can all hope that they're okay, but that doesn't feel right to me. What if they're not? " she said, fidgeting with the end of her scarf.

Tsuna, being the oldest of the group, was a bit more grounded in his reply. "We're still only in training, and the king knows his away around the worlds better than any of us. What happens if he does come back just to find out _we're_ gone? The best thing we can do is support Queen Minnie and accept her judgement in his absence," he advised, folding his arms.

However, no sooner had he spoken those words before they came back to kick him. Max Goof came treading up the road at full speed, waving to get their attention. "Cael! Reki! Tsuna! I'm glad you three are easy to find. Queen Minnie would like you to meet with her in the castle library straight away!"

Tsuna just raised his eyebrows in surprise at this news, while Reki and Cael both perked up with interest. "Guess we'll be getting to help after all!" Cael declared, his sense of adventure flaring.

\---

They returned at a fair pace, relating to Max how they witnessed his marksmanship in the turret, and how they ended up battling one of the beasts he downed. Max immediately wanted to apologize, but they shut him down quickly as they weren't too upset by the experience; they rather found it a useful view of live combat. Still, Max was a bit bothered by not being able to do more for his father, already missing him as they filed in to see the familiar well-stocked shelves of books in the royal library, and the Queen mouse looking thoughtful as she settled into a chair behind the singular mahogany-colored reading desk.

"Thank you Max for delivering my summons, and to all of you for performing so admirably in defense of the town," she said with her usual courtesy, aware of their encounter with the large Heartless and that they deserved some recognition for it. "I am certain you are all wanting to do your part in tracking down the ones who could even think to do such a terrible act... but, there are certain priorities we need to consider."

"Like how we are going to leave Disney Town now with the Corridor locked," Reki added, making the connection and voicing it just ahead of the two boys.

"Short of disrupting the barrier to create an alternate route, as that would be just inviting a lot more trouble," Tsuna reasoned aloud, already working through a list of possible solutions in his mind. "The Heartless wouldn't hesitate to attack again; they were right behind Sora's ship when it left the way open."

"How did that happen anyway? Warp gummis don't **_do_** that..." Cael questioned, and rightly so. This even got Reki's attention, as Cael's knowledge of gummi mechanics was not often so reliable.

"Quite right, dear boy!" spoke another voice now, not belonging to one present in the room yet familiar to all who were. The voice of a wizened and kindly magic user, who's trademark blue hat then came into sight by appearing high in midair, the owner himself seemingly falling out of it feet first to the floor, hat landing perfectly upon his bushy, white-haired head afterwards in a display of showmanship.

"Merlin! Oh, I'm so glad you've come!" Minnie greeted brightly, her restrained impulse to run up and hug him bleeding into her voice.

"Just so, I regret not being able to arrive sooner! I was a little tied up in Avalor with young Calista, you see", he hastily explained while standing and smoothing out wrinkles in his robe, failing to include context for those not already familiar. "Your signal reached me there, yet I daresay the, ah, gravity of the situation wasn't quite as apparent then. They used Sora's ship, as you say? Hmm! Hmm, hmm hmm! That _is_ serious."

"We need to go after him, but we have no idea how to begin," Tsuna interjected, faith unshaken in Mickey's strength (or really any of the chosen champions of the light's abilities) to get them out of their present mess.

"We'll need connections too. Riku, Kairi and the others at Radiant Garden may be able to lend some help in the search," chimed in Reki, not wanting to miss any advantage they could get.

"Aw, hey! Maybe Sora left us a message in his ship?" Max said from his spot by the door, finally contributing.

"Yeah... All of that. The longer we wait here, the harder things might get, too," Cael finished with some pause, finally realizing what Queen Minnie meant about their priorities. "And... Hey, wait! YOU TELEPORTED HERE! H-how?!"

The wizard tipped his hat back a bit in surprise at the question. "Magic allows one to bend the rules a touch, but unfortunately, its only affects me when I cast it. Nor is it something I'd be able to teach you to do! At least, not yet. Too much room for error; no. Too dangerous. But not to worry! Ol' Merlin came prepared!" He said, flipping between a state of flustered disorganization and utter confidence. Reading how the wizard was actually feeling wasn't the easiest of jobs. "Ah, Minnie? I don't suppose you remember Mickey's old... _'Star Shard'_ , do you?"

"Oh! I had completely forgotten," she exclaimed, but then was immediately crestfallen. "I believe he had left that with Master Yen Sid? It was never really his to begin with."

"Well! As luck would have it, Yen Sid passed it into my care when he retired; and I happen to be a wizard who never travels light," he chuckled, priding himself on how he frequently took the entire contents of his magical laboratory with him, condensed into a single suitcase. He then produced said suitcase, setting it upon the reading desk to pull out what was required.

"You're saying you have it?!" Cael piped in hopefully.

"Don't be so quick to presume it's unique, my boy," chided the wizard playfully, pulling from his bag the mentioned star-shaped, glassy-blue prism; along with an added surprise: "I have TWO."

The first was legendary, sparking Mickey's idea for controlled flight between the many worlds by Gummi ship. "It took me a long time to find the other, and plenty more years to figure out how to 'attune' it properly. Indeed, it was supposed to be my backup means of travel if I end up too exhausted to use my own magic, but I think this occasion is much more important."

"It's settled then," Reki concluded, happy that they finally had a sound strategy to persue. "Tsuna, you can use King Mickey's shard to start scouting for him. I'll take Merlin's shard to go to Destiny Islands and find Riku. Merlin can go back to Radiant Garden and inform Kairi and Cid there. Max and Cael, you two can go check Sora's ship."

Chip and Dale, timely as ever, came scampering into the library to also lend their aid. "It crashed on the far side of the river! All you need to do is place a beacon on it so we can pick it up!" Chip directed, followed up by his brother with "Once it's back in the hangar, we'll have it repaired in no time!"

Queen Minnie was quick to put in a word of worry. "All of you could be facing a great risk. Promise me that you'll be safe and will meet back here as soon as you can."

"Of course" answered Tsuna, moving to pick up one of the shards off the desk. Merlin stalled his gloved hand though, worried about his eagerness to strike back at the forces of darkness.

"Remember that the Star Shards are still very unpredictable. If you don't end up finding Mickey, you're on your own out there. But it _will_ always take you somewhere you need to go. Find the clues as to why, and the Star Shard should reactivate and whisk you off somewhere else," Merlin noted with uncharacteristic sternness. "You're not out there to fight."

This lecture did give him pause, but he still acted again to pick up the shard, and this time Merlin let him pass. Reki then collected her own, Cael summoning back his keyblade as a sign of his own readiness. All three touched the items together after, closed their eyes and repeated a phrase they held dear: "No matter how far, our bond is unbreakable."

When Cael opened his eyes again, his two friends were gone. Sparks of light bounded and spiraled about before shooting through the walls to their respective destinations. He knew he'd miss them, but he was also certain he'd see everyone again soon enough. Running a hand through his crimson hair, he turned and smiled at Max. "Let's not give them too much of a headstart, hey?"

\---

Author's Notes: Gotta love those wacky wizards, getting things moving! Anyway, with KH2.8 being announced for January, I knew I had to rush this chapter out to connect with the fans coming back looking for fics. We're going to have a few perspective shifts from here on, starting with Cael's misadventures before jumping back to Reki and Tsuna. Really looking forward to how this is unfolding, the characters are sort of taking over and running with it now. And speaking of characters, I finally have a good picture of the cuties! I commissioned the wonderfully talented Angie (aka weissrabbit at tumblr.com) for a flat color piece, and with her permission I added some photoshop touchups and effects and am overall very happy with how it all turned out. [Check it out here!](http://www.TinyURL.com/yamkxqsl)

  
All characters belong to their respective creators, primarily being Disney and Square Enix; this is a work of fan fiction. Enjoy and please review or comment!


	7. Follow the Wind

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**  
_Chapter 6_  


Crossing the Timeless River was the easy part, taking a raft from the dock. Hacking into the wilderness beyond it made for much slower progress as not many of Disney Town's residents were ever forced to travel out this far. Cael swinging his keyblade until his arm was sore, Max bashing away at branches and underbrush with his shield; yet there was a characteristic lack of conversation between them that couldn't just be chalked up to being tired from the earlier events of the day. Max took the first opportunity to speak up, when they found their way into something of a clear area they could take a short rest at.

"It can't be too far from here... and I'm glad we finally get a chance to hang out together and do something fun-like," he said, focusing on the silver lining in it all, and how their usual schedule had often gotten in the way.

"It's not skateboarding, but you're right," came Cael's reply quickly. Clearly he was also willing to talk, but the focus on finding their missing teacher (and idol) and then being forced to take a separate path from his friends to do that was weighing on his heart. "It's kinda like the stories we heard about Sora leaving his home island to go adventuring with Donald and your dad. We get to be heroes too... kinda. I mean, I just got a proper keyblade and all, but I'm not sure I'd call smacking at plants a good story just yet."

"Couldn't Sora and Riku _ride_ their keyblades?" Max recalled, barely understanding the technique involved.

Of course, Cael just laughed off the absurd notion. "I'm nowhere even close to that level. And Sora's got like, the best Keyblade out there. It can do all sorts of stuff, and open anything. Mine might be able to unlock a lunchbox at the most."

As if to spite him for his comment and lack of faith, the air-aspected blade in Cael's hand promptly dissolved in much the same way it had formed. The suddenness left both of the boys in shock.

"Nice going. You pissed it off," Max bluntly pointed out.

"I didn't know keyblades could hear!" Cael snapped back, just reinforcing how naive he was.

There was more to it though, Cael feeling a subtle pull in his body now before spotting faint green wisps flowing and leading them forward. "I think... we need to go this way."

\---

Indeed, it wasn't far at all before they found the expected catastrophe of broken trees and uprooted earth caused by a crashlanding ship. Further up the gash, the Highwind was surely there and completely trashed. The engines were still coughing out smoke, and the gummi wings were torn apart with the pieces scattered everywhere.

"Yup, it's totaled. Let's place the beacon like Chip and Dale said and then we can head back. It's getting late," Max prompted, using his shield to block the now-setting sun from getting into his eyes.

"Yeah, but..." Cael paused, tilting his head with idle fancy while looking over the wreckage. "This is the first time I've actually got to see the Highwind up close, Max. Even if it is kind of broken right now, I want to see the inside." The ship itself had gotten some modifications over the years, though it was still a bit more compact than he expected. Also, with his keyblade still refusing to reform and the sun setting, Cael had little interest in trying to fight their way back through the dense forest if he could avoid it.

"You're the boss. Actually, what are the chances that there's a bunk for sleeping in there, and we could just catch a ride back when they send the retrieval team?" Max gave in, flipping over to the same thought line as Cael. Shrugging, he set about looking for ways to pop the hatch.

"That's the spirit!" Cael flashed his usual grin. Kicking it out here with Max like it was a camping trip was just his style.

When they managed to break into the cockpit, Cael wasted no time hopping into the 'Captain Chair', fiddling around with the dead controls. "Okay, gang! Let's warp to Hollow Bastion!" he said, pretending like he was Sora and that it would respond.

Max rolled his eyes, knowing that Cael was sometimes given to such silliness, but to their combined surprise the ship still did something. It wasn't picking up to take off, but it wasn't doing nothing either. A red light started blinking on the console before a screen then lit up, printing out blocky text:  
`CRITICAL SYSTEMS FAILURE_`  
`WARP GUMMI ACTIVATION ERROR_`  
`IMMEDIATE SERVICE REQUIRED_`  
`Would you like to run gyrohelp.msg (Y/N)_`  


It took Cael a couple seconds to make sense of what just happened. "I really need to stop assuming that things can't hear me. It wants to... run a program now?"  
"Yeah..." Max said, coming to the same conclusion. However, the system then took it as an affirmative response to the prompt, the holographic head of an unfamiliar male anthro-chicken wearing tiny spectacles then popping up on the console in front of them.

"Whoa!" the two wheeled back in surprise.

"If you are hearing this recording, then odds are your Warp Gummy no longer works and you are now hopelessly stranded out in subspace!" it spoke, far too excited for any situation where it would be warranted. The beaked image then followed up, "Luckily, thanks to the planning of Scrooge McDuck's Gummi Mechanical Workshop, your ship was fittted with my experimental failsafe invention, the Gyro Recaller! All you have to do to activate it is remove the damaged block from the engine core and attatch the blue wire leading from the black unit on the side into the base of the remaining platform. Make sure to stay on the platform though; the Workshop is not responsible for what may happen otherwise. Good luck!"

The holo-head blinked out and the ship went back to its quiet state from before. Max and Cael exchanged glances, equally at a loss as to what they stumbled upon. The red haired 'captain' commented first though. "That was... helpful. Think it might be some clue as to where Sora went?"

"No idea. If we check out this 'recaller' though, it might tell us how the ship arrived with no pilot?" Max put in, adding to a hot streak of good questions to ask. Together they hopped out and started pulling off the back panels to investigate, and it was clear that the pad had not been wired to activate yet; the warp gummi was still in place. Sticking the beacon for Chip and Dale onto the side like they promised, the rest was just a matter of following the instructions of the hologram.

"And this wire goes....here," Cael talked out his action, the pad starting to glow blue.

The voice of the holographic inventor then broadcast from the black box. "Gyro Recaller active in 5 seconds!" Max was thankfully close by and Cael reached out a hand to pull him up to the platform with him.

Max wasn't sure if it was just a snap reaction or a sense that they should go together to wherever it would be sending them, but he didn't hesitate either. "Now leaving: Disney Town! All aboard!" crowed Cael, feeling like this was getting one step closer in closing the gap between him and his fellow students. "Tsuna and Reki will sure be surprised to see us!"

Enveloped in blue light from the device, it flashed, and they were greeted by the sight of the largest city either of them had ever seen.

\---

Author's Notes: _"Life is like a hurricane... ♪ ♫"_  This took me longer to sit down to write than it did actually writing it. It just didn't feel like it was going to be a great chapter, and I apologize for it being short; the next one will be longer I PROMISE. This was literally just getting Max and Cael from Disney Town into the next world without the same Star Shard cheese that Reki and Tsuna got. But it _does_ feature a new ability by Cael's weapon that I've dubbed "Follow the Wind" where it will lead in him in directions he needs to go. This may come up later. Also, another positive note, this is where the crosspost is finished! Everything after this point will be uploaded in tandem with my FF.net copy.  
All non-original characters belong to their respective creators, primarily being Disney and Square Enix; this is a work of fan fiction.


	8. Monstrous Mystery

**Kingdom Hearts: Inheritance**   
_ Chapter 7 _

"Well that was a surprise..."

An enshadowed figure turned away from the projector, having watched the image cast upon the walls of countless stars and constellations and expressing his unease to none in particular. His footsteps echoed as he passed through to another chamber now, featuring a large, black emptiness highlighted by only a large platform in the center made of stained glass, and a simple footbridge that led to it.

Suspended above this platform, a boy familiar to many worlds floated soundless, entirely horizontal as if on water. The dark figure approached him then, stepping into the glow of the platform and presenting a man of imposing build, darker in skin with a blaze of blonde hair as if it were a burning fire, golden and untamed. Passing his hand just above the head of the floating, unconscious 'hero', he issued his command. "Awaken... Sora."

His voice was deep and familiar. Eyes only opening half way, Sora responded yet still stared into the void above him as if entranced. "...Xemnas?"

The man smirked, clearly in control of emotions that the named had never truly grasped. "No. But I wouldn't expect you to understand. One who knows nothing can understand nothing," he answered, echoing words that were also familiar to Sora from years before. "What you've forgotten though... is that you cannot run from duty."

Sora did not respond to this, continuing to breathe slowly as if resting. Continuing cryptically, his captor began to circle around where he floated. "It was through their mistakes that I was forged. It is through your mistakes that I remain as I am. But... with your help... we can correct these mistakes. Mistakes we need to keep your friends from also making. This is your duty, as wielder of the Kingdom Key..."

He stopped at the feet of Sora now, facing him and raising an arm. The light of Sora's heart drifted up from his chest, becoming a glassy pink vessel above him, his body becoming outlined in a white glow. From the man's extended palm now came a gassy purple claw extending towards the freed heart, quickly capturing and enveloping it. Changing the shiny pink color to a much more sinister violet. Poisoning it.

"...your duty is to serve."

\---

Tsuna had basically jumped into the unknown. Reki, Cael and Merlin all had their destinations, while he was just out and exploring to gather whatever info about Mickey or Sora that he could find. To him, it was a chance to prove he could manage independently, able to face whatever monsters were out in the greater World. It may actually have been that line of thought that the Star Shard had focused on that brought him to this world in particular, but Tsuna didn't make that connection until some time later.

He had luckily appeared on a rooftop belonging to an impressively massive building, with an equally large parking lot below and a view of the city streets beyond. He could see there were plenty of people going about their daily lives... only that these people weren't exactly people-shaped. Fuzzy, scaly, pointy or tentacled; there was only one way to describe them: they were monsters. An entire metropolis of walking, talking, car-driving monsters.

"So much for blending in. What _is_ this place?" Tsuna mused out loud to himself.

Looking around further, there were windows near where Tsuna had arrived, to allow light into the rooms below of this strange 'pseudo-factory'. Taking a peek, the impulsive youth spied a room with several large floor-clamps, desks and computer terminals, with large yellow canisters in carts placed among them. The room itself wasn't vacant either, with two monsters present: one large, mostly blue, and furry; with another one that was kind of orange and spindly. With some focus, Tsuna decided to eavesdrop.

The orange one was speaking first, with a cracking voice like he never grew out of puberty. "I've got the files here, Mr. Sullivan. Several employees reported seeing a human who was 'cleverly disguised as a monster' and that they had infiltrated the factory. Their cover got blown shortly before they vanished around a corner in the office halls."

The other had the file handed to him before he responded, his voice somehow blending 'charismatic, rich father figure' and 'unwavering veteran bowler' in tone, following a pause for both reading and thought. "Thank you, Needles. Looks like I'll have to contact the CDA and put together an investigation. For now though, it would be safe to say that we're not dealing with just some wayward child, and that they might still be here. Maybe they could answer a few questions."

'Needles' shifted between his feet nervously as he broached the subject. "You mean... about what happened to those children we keep finding? ... they don't laugh, or scream... or anything, Sully! They just seem so empty inside. There were another three just this week..."

"I know. I'm just as concerned as you are, but I can't shake the thought that this is all a coincidence. We just need to find this human first," Sully stated grimly, punching in some numbers on the nearby terminal.

Tsuna watched in fascination from his skylight perch. "Another human here? That couldn't be Sora, could it?" he asked himself, wondering just how reliably the Star Shard might have helped his search.

He wasn't able dwell on that thought for long though as a wooden door came whirring into the room just after, brought along by a ceiling rail. One of the clamps from below extended up to grab it once it came to a stop, bringing the door down to floor level for the monsters. Putting it all together, Tsuna correctly realized this wasn't an ordinary doorway.

"Roz won't like that we left a door out, but we'll check it first thing tomorrow. I've just got a hunch..." Sully stated as he started walking, his orange assistant also taking that as a cue to leave, both out to the hallway and beyond where Tsuna could watch. The conversation had settled it for him though: strange happenings and a door left as bait made it seem pretty clear what his target was.

"What kind of Heartless steals emotions? And why are they only targeting children?" Those were the only details that didn't fit. Tsuna had to know more; Mickey would have to wait. Protecting children always came first. "And what's behind that door?" he added, making a beeline for the roof hatch and summoning his reverse-blade. Even if it was a trap, no doors could hold a keybearer!

As soon as he felt he could pass without notice, Tsuna dropped through the hatchway, swinging off of the attached ladder to hit the floor in practiced style. What greeted him immediately after was not just an echo, though. Something -else- had taken the bait and had gotten there first.

There was an electrical humming sound, and Tsuna's vision seemed to glitch. Jagged refractions, misplaced colors and squares... static? Suddenly a being appeared in front of him that previously hadn't been. It was not a Nobody; it didn't move wrong and fluidly like it ignored physics. It wasn't a Heartless either: those arose from the darkness and always had yellow eyes, though it did remind him of a Shadow. The skin it had was more reflective though, swirling rainbow colors over blackness like oil on water; and it had no eyes at all. What it did have in spades though... was teeth.

And there were two more behind him.

As if being brought to a city full of monsters wasn't bad enough, these creatures were downright terrifying. If they were also the ones consuming the emotions from children in this world, Tsuna didn't want to even chance getting bitten. He swung to keep one back from approaching, and in a very un-Heartless response, this one _dodged_ it. Its mouth opened like a shark as it then leapt up at him, hoping to get him off guard, but Tsuna was even quicker on the backswing. Catching the beast in the air with the tip of the blade and driving its body straight to the floor with a loud crash, it instantly evaporated into shimmery geometric particles.

The other two tried to rush in after, the athletic teen tumbling sideways to put them both back in view and just out of striking range. Tsuna narrowed his eyes at them and held a ready stance. Everything before had just been him acting on impulse but he didn't know the next move. If he struck at either one now, the other was in position to punish him for it. In his hesitation though, he nearly missed the unexpected 'clack' sound that came from across the room.

A baseball came whipping into the fray, colliding squarely with the head of one of the creatures and knocking it senseless. Tsuna afforded a quick moment to look over his shoulderguard, spying the owner of the ball running in to help. It was a girl! A human girl! Wearing a pink headband in medium-length ebony hair and a... purple monster costume? Brandishing a baseball bat, she gave him a quick smile signalling her intent to help and cheered him on. "Don't get scared!"

With only one active threat now, Tsuna jumped forward and swung downward, Keyblade hitting home and dispatching the second of the invaders. The third shook off the hit that disoriented it, refocusing on the Keyblade wielder. The unknown girl would not be ignored though, showing that the bat itself was a useful weapon all on its own and clubbing the monster across the face, the creepy thing dissolving into bits before it hit the ground.

Tsuna stood and lowered his weapon, wondering just who this girl was and how she got so talented, speculating that it was from more than just a love of baseball. "You're pretty good with that... what's your name?"

"Mary Gibbs! But you can call me 'Boo'!"

* * *

Author's Notes: DuckTales is finally on the air and I'm quite enjoying what I've seen so far! This chapter comes on the heels of Episode 4, where Lena was introduced and I just want to mention that she might make an appearance in this story. I've got ideas. I will admit though that not all ideas work out. I still remember the cameo-shot of Mike and Sully running through the set for Lilo and Stitch in the movie, and I kinda wanted to maintain that link. I was originally going to have Boo first appear up with Stitch's ray gun and blasting the "not shadows", but then I couldn't really end the chapter without explaining how that happened... so I went with the one scene in the movie where little Boo clubs Randall about the head, making him change color. And then made her REALLY good with a bat, in proper RPG fashion. Lilo and Stitch are just going to have to wait their turn. Also, the enemies in this chapter do have a proper name in my notes, our protagonists just haven't learned what they are yet. Stay tuned for that juiciness!

All non-original characters belong to their respective creators, primarily being Disney, Pixar and Square Enix; this is a work of fan fiction.


End file.
